Wasn't sure just where I should put this idea I had for a thread but ultimately decided on Good Movies as I personally feel many classic Sci-Fi film are unfairly thought of as bad due to their similarity to many B-movies of the era and indeed some of the so-called B-movies can at times be as good if not better than the top genre films (OK I'll admit it's a stretch with some of the names below many of which are clearly B-movies). Anyways thinking classic Sci-Fi of the 1950s and 1960s, certain films truly stand out. The U.S. gave us films of top quality as well as cheesy Z-grade sci-fi. Personally I'd argue most U.S. fare was more adventurous and more prone to showing monsters and alien critters on the loose, the U.K. gave us some of the same kind of fare but I'd argue there was more symbolism and stuff to make one think and they often didn't show its monsters so quickly and when they did, they were somehow presented in a more belieavable fashion while Japanese Sci-Fi of the era was focused very much on giant monsters on the loose wrecking damage and destruction. Granted all three countries have examples of the highest quality science fiction storytelling as well as examples of absolute dreck. Granted with some films, there's co-production between the different countries (2001, Mysterious Island, Godzilla-King of the Monsters). Still there's a certain distinctive style at work arguably with each country.

Anyways from the USA, we got:

Planet of the ApesForbidden PlanetThe Day the Earth Stood StillThe Time MachineThe Thing From Another WorldInvasion of the Body SnatchersFantastic VoyageCreature From the Black LagoonThem!On the BeachWar of the WorldsIt Came From Outer SpaceThe FlySecondsColossus: The Forbin ProjectWhen Worlds CollideThe BlobTarantulaThe Incredible Shrinking ManInvaders From MarsX: the Man With the X-Ray EyesRobinson Crusoe on MarsPanic in Year ZeroThe Beast From 20000 FathomsDonovan's Brain

From the U.K., there was:

Fahrenheit 451When Dinosaurs Ruled the EarthThe War GameThe Day of the TriffidsQuatermass and the PitVillage of the DamnedChildren of the DamnedThe Quatermass XperimentThe Day the Earth Caught FireThe Man in the White SuitJourney to the Far Side of the SunThe Curse of FrankensteinThese Are the DamnedQuatermass 2GorgoFiend Without a FaceIsland of TerrorThe Giant BehemothThe Abominable Snowman of the HimalayasFrankenstein Must Be DestroyedFrankenstein Created WomanNight of the Big HeatX the UnknownCurse of the FlyFirst Men in the MoonStranger From VenusThe Strange World of Planet XThe Mind of Mr. SoamesThe Brain (1962)You Only Live Twice

I've got a slight preference for UK stuff - the British accents always make them sound so much more serious lol. US had a lot of good stuff too though. I'm not a fan of the Japanese monster movies. Used to like them but then one weekend I watched a Godzilla marathon and...ugh. My lifetime quota of dopiness was exceeded I'm afraid. "It's all the fault of porrution and nucrear energy!"

I'd have to go with no preference.....each one has some real classics in my book. Although I must admit that Japan does the best monsters. I adore "The Creeping Terror" of course but vs. Godzilla.....? No contest.

As much fun as the Japanese monster flicks are and as much as the UK overachieved in these decades, I have to give my vote to the US. INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, and FORBIDDEN PLANET are 3 seminal classics I don't think the other countries can match.

Logged

"...the luscious love melons of Linnea Quigley are back on the screen in 'Sexbomb,' except that she's no longer Linnea Quigley. She's billed simply as 'Linnea'... So, you might be wondering, where is Linnea Qui... I mean, Linnea? She's exactly where we would expect, wandering around through the background with her breasts hanging out. She's got maybe, oh, eight words to say in this movie, and most of them are 'Here, I brought you some coffee.'"-Joe Bob on SEXBOMB

Rev. Powell makes a pretty good point and on some levels I agree. However then I look at UK's offerings and I realize The Man in the White Suit, Quatermass and the Pit and The Abominable Snowman should be all up as classics as well although I think all three are a bit underrated. The original Godzilla from Japan is a bonafide classic too in its own right and one can make arguments for films like Matango, The H-Man, Mothra and Rodan too IMO. UltimatelY I had to vote for loving them all equally myself. Of course I admit I have most all, with only a few exceptions, the films listed in my collection. For the person who mentioned Doctor Who, the UK did give us two films starring Peter Cushing - Dr. Who and the Daleks and Daleks Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D..

Yes H-Man requires a certain amount of patience especially for today's younger audience who want immediate pay-offs and stuff to hold their rather short attention spans. I bet most younger folks would dismiss the classic Solaris and 2001: A Space Odyssey as boring but they often never really give them a chance as both films force one to think a bit outside the box.